Process for transferring holographic images

ABSTRACT

A process for transferring a holographic image from a conventional polymeric support to a paper tissue support is described in this invention. A host of images may be envisioned and since this image, on a paper tissue support, may then be wound up in a roll, it can be used as a wrapping element for a host of applications such as in the candy and gum industry; wrapping paper tissue; etc. This element and process permits the wide spread use of such holographic images, such use not being available until now.

CROSS REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATIONS

This application is related to my previously filed applications U.S.Ser. No. 08/679,347, filed Jul. 9, 1996 and allowed on Apr. 15, 1997,now U.S. Pat. No. 5,662,986.

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION

1. Field of the Invention

This invention relates to holographic images formed by a unique processfor various security and decorative purposes. Also, this inventionrelates to aluminized roll-stock holographic images formed on a plasticlayer. Further, this invention relates to elements and process fortransferring holographic images to yet another substrate. Still further,this invention relates to a unique process for transferring holographicimages to a relatively inexpensive substrate which permits a wide-spreaduse of said holographic image.

2. Description of the Prior Art

Holographically enhanced materials are well known in the prior art.These are usually made by very proprietary methods which includespassing a layer of plastic, for example, through a machine which impartsa variation (e.g. which can be an image itself) within covering or upperstrata of the plastic layer. This step is somewhat similar to, but notexactly the same, as embossing. A powdered metallic element (e.g.aluminum) is then applied thereon by the so-called metallizing processwhich yields a metallized holographic image. After this step, theelement appears to have a holographic or 3-dimensional image imparted onthe layer of plastic. This image is extremely pleasing and is widelyused within the credit card and security industries, for example, toimpart an image particular to that credit card or security elementthereon. The resulting image is difficult to duplicate and thus theseelements assist in the prevention of fraud by counterfeiting, forexample. The draw-back to the use of these images is the cost since themachines to produce the image are complicated and costly in and ofthemselves. Additionally, holographic elements produced by this method(the so-called "shim" method) are usually small in size and thus cannotbe imprinted with larger images. Thus, this material has not been widelyused outside of the credit card and novelty industry.

Within the food packaging industry it is known use foils and the likefor the wrapping of individual food pieces, for example. Sometimes,these foils are embossed with decorative or advertising logos andmaterials. In addition, it is known in this industry to laminate withglues metallized materials to tissue like paper tissues for the wrappingof individual food pieces such as candies, gums and the like, forexample.

Recently, a process for making large sheets of holographically enhancedmaterial has been developed. Thus, the costs of such holographicallyenhanced material have been significantly reduced. However, these largesheets of material are usually placed on a plastic surface which is alsorather expensive and thus the use of this material is still ratherlimited. If the holographic image could be further transferred to yetanother substrate, one which was less expensive and one which had higherutility (e.g. thin paper tissues), the use of holographically preparedimages would find wider use in decorative wrappings and in advertising,for example.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION

It is an object of this invention to provide a holographic image thatcan be transferred to another substrate. It is a further object toutilize a unique transferring process that can place a holographic imagedirectly on a cheaper paper tissue substrate such as a tissue-like papertissue, for example. These and yet other objects are achieve in a thin,paper tissue containing wrapping element, said wrapping element having aholographic image having imparted thereto by laminating to said thinpaper tissue a holographic image on a polymeric substrate under elevatedtemperatures and pressure and subsequently delaminating said papertissue substrate from said polymeric substrate.

In yet another embodiment, this invention may be achieved in a processfor transferring a holographic image to a paper tissue substrate bylaminating a holographic image, said image having been imparted on apolymeric substrate, to said paper tissue substrate at a temperaturegreater than 25° C. and a pressure greater than 1 pound per square inchand subsequently delaminating said paper tissue substrate from saidpolymeric substrate, whereby said holographic image is transferred tosaid paper tissue substrate.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

FIG. 1 is a top view of an actual prior art holographic image preparedby the process described above and contained on a polymeric substrate.

FIG. 2 is a figure of a side view of FIG. 1. A paper tissue substrate isshown directly above the holographic image which is contained on apolymeric substrate in this Figure.

FIG. 3 is a figure of a side view of a holographic image that has beentransferred from the element of FIG. 1 directly to the paper tissuesubstrate of FIG. 2

FIG. 4 is a figure of a schematic process for the lamination of a priorart polymeric substrate containing a holographic image to a paper tissuesubstrate.

FIG. 5 is a figure of a schematic process of direct delamination of thepolymeric substrate from the paper tissue substrate to produce theholographic image of FIG. 2 directly on the paper tissue substrate.

FIG. 6 is a top view of a figure showing a name brand as a holographicimage on a paper tissue substrate, said holographic image having beentransferred from a polymeric substrate. A series of these images may beprepared and rolled up so that this holographic image can be used towrap and advertise in a flashy method.

DETAILS OF THE INVENTION

Looking now specifically at the drawings which schematically show theholographic image which is transferable from a polymeric substrate to amore useable paper tissue substrate, FIG. 1 is a top view of an actualholographic image 1 contained on a polymeric substrate. The image hasthat 3-D holographic look that is well-known in the prior art,especially in the security art field.

In FIG. 2, a side view figure of the holographic image 1 from FIG. 2 isshown. In this figure, the polymeric substrate on which the holographicimage is manufactured, is shown as 2. A paper tissue substrate 3 isshown located directly above the image.

In FIG. 3, the holographic image 1 has been transferred to the papertissue substrate 3.

FIG. 4 is a schematic figure representing a novel process of thisinvention for the transfer of a holographic image from a polymericsubstrate to a paper tissue substrate. In this figure, a holographicimage 1 on a polymeric substrate 2 is shown being pulled off an unwindroll 4 in a nip formed by opposing rollers 5 and 6. In this view, roll 5is a standard gravure coating roll and roll 6 is a backup roll. Areverse gravure doctor blade (to control coating weight) is shown as 7and a coating pan (holding a standard adhesive solution) is shown as 8.The coated holographic image on a polymeric substrate is then carriedthrough a drier which is indicated as 9 and 10 and subsequently down toheated rolls 11 and 12. In the nip formed by these last two rolls, apaper tissue substrate 3 taken from a roll 15 contacts the surface ofthe adhesive containing side of the dried, holographic image 1 containedon a polymeric substrate 2 and is laminated thereto. The heated rollsactivate the dried adhesive in order to permit such a lamination tooccur. The resulting sandwich 13 is passed over a chill roll 14a (tocool the element below 25° C.) and then taken up by rewind roll 14.

The process of delamination is shown in FIG. 5. In this schematicfigure, the laminated sandwich material 13 is drawn off unwind roll 14and taken through the nip of two delamination rolls 16 and 17. Thepolymeric substrate 2 is then taken up on a film rewind roll 18 (thismaterial can subsequently be reused and recycled). The paper tissuesubstrate 3 now carrying the holographic image 1 thereon is taken up tocoating heads 19 and 20. A protective layer is applied over theholographic image contained on this paper tissue substrate in order toprotect this image during handling. This may be applied at the nip ofthe coating heads and a pan 21 is graphically shown in this view. Theholographic image on the paper tissue substrate is then carried intoanother drier shown as 22 and 23 (and which may be an oven) to insurethat the protective coating is hardened prior to be rolled up on to afinal roll 24. The roll of holographically imaged paper tissue is nowready for use as a wrap for food products and the like.

In FIG. 6, a top view of a typical paper tissue substrate 3 having aname brand applied in a holographic image is shown. This holographicimage (seen here as "Wrigleys") was originally manufactured on apolymeric substrate in a conventional manner and then transferred to thepaper tissue substrate 3 in a manner described in FIGS. 4 and 5. Thispermits the wide-spread use of a holographic advertisement on a productsuch as a stick of gum. The holographic image, transferred to the papertissue substrate, is flashy and eye catching and this is the first suchuse thereof.

Although a temperature greater than 25° C. can be used, I prefertemperatures of 30 to 125 degrees and more preferably at temperatures ofbetween 60 to 90 degrees at the nip of the lamination process of thisinvention. At the same time, an elevated pressure is applied to the nipto cause the two substrates, with the holographic image sandwichedbetween, to be laminated together. A pressure greater than 1 pound persquare inch and up to 1,000 pounds per square inch may be used, althoughI prefer 5 to 10 pounds per square inch.

It is most important that the temperature of any step of this processnot be greater than 150° C. in order not to harm or deform theholographic images in any way. Looking again at FIG. 4, the conditionsin the drier should be such that the surface of the polymeric substrate2 carrying the holographic image 1 and a layer of adhesive material, besomewhere between 25 and 150 degrees centigrade and most preferably 60to 90 degrees centigrade. One can design a drier which has a properlength and can emanate the proper degree of heat to match up with theweb speed which is passing through this drier. The heated nip alsoshould have a temperature of between 25 and 150 degrees C. The purposeof the chill roll 14a is to set up the adhesive and insure that thepaper tissue substrate 3 and holographic image 1 on the polymericsubstrate 2 is secured. The adhesive material is well-known in thecoating art and can be applied at a coating weight of between 0.5 to 8pounds (dry) per ream of paper, wherein a ream is 500 sheets of paper of24 inches by 36 inches in size, and can be applied either to the papertissue substrate or to the holographic image layer. Within the drawingswhich make up some of the best modes as envisioned at the time of filingof this invention, the adhesive layer is shown being applied to theholographic image first. Then, the paper tissue substrate contacts thislayer at the heated nip rolls and is adhered thereto.

The protective layer that is applied over the top of the holographicimage that has been transferred to the paper tissue substrate bydelamination, as shown in FIG. 5, can be any of a host of conventionalmaterials such as solvent or water based acrylics, for example. Thisprotective layer may be colored or tinted to provide requisite colormatching to colored paper tissue layers, for example.

I can use a host of paper tissue substrates within the metes and boundsof this invention. For example, if one wishes to have holographicallyenhanced wrapping paper tissue for a host of applications, regularwrapping paper tissue may be used within the ambit of this invention. Bywrapping paper tissue I mean that which is said to have 5 to 24 poundsper ream, where a ream is 500 sheets of paper tissue of 24 inches by 36inches in size. This paper tissue is particularly useful since it hassuch low weight and thus can be used to wrap up small items such as astick of gum, for example.

The conventionally holographically imaged polymeric substrates includemany of the commonly available plastics, for example. These will includepolyethylenes, polypropylenes, polyethylene terephthalates, amongothers, for example. These substrates are usually 0.03 to 4.0 mils inthickness.

The paper tissue substrates on which the holographic images have beentransferred may be used in a host of applications including the wrappingof candies and gums; gifts wherein the holographic image containswriting thereon; store wrappings; decorative wrappings; etc. Theholographic image may be altered for the use desired. Advertising anddecorative images are also envisioned within this invention. Suchapplications will find wide use within the various industries thatemploy wrappings of this sort.

The ability to dry-bond laminate and then to delaminate the elementsdescribed within this invention represents a unique process since it wasnot widely known that holographic images could be so transferred. Theprocess as described above uses some unique equipment that is designedto hold, laminate and then delaminate some fairly flimsy material. It isnecessary to insure that all of the elements of the process arecarefully maintained within processing limits. The use of elementsproduced within the scope of this invention greatly increases theutility of holographic images within a broader scope. This means thatholographic images with larger images, images that can utilizeadvertising and logos and the like, are now possible.

I claim:
 1. A process for transferring a holographic image contained on a polymeric support to a thin, tissue paper substrate, wherein said holographic image is a metallized holographic image having a top surface, comprising the steps of:a. coating an adhesive on said top surface of said metallized holographic image and drying said adhesive at a temperature of between 25° and 150° C.; b. laminating said dried adhesive surface to said thin tissue paper substrate at a temperature between 25°-150° C. and a pressure greater than 1 pound per square inch to form a laminate comprising, in order, a polymeric support, a metallized holographic image, an adhesive layer, and a thin, tissue paper; and, c. delaminating said laminate whereby said metallized holographic image is transferred from said polymeric substrate to said thin tissue paper substrate.
 2. The process of claim 1 wherein said laminating temperature is between 30° and 150° C. and said pressure is between 1 and 1,000 pounds per square inch.
 3. The process of claim 2 wherein said laminating temperature is between 60° and 90° C. and said pressure is between 5 and 10 pounds per square inch.
 4. The process of claim 1 wherein said thin tissue paper substrate has a weight between 5 and 24 pounds per ream, wherein said ream is defined as 500 sheets of paper of 24 by 36 inch size.
 5. A process of claim 1 wherein said thin tissue paper substrate containing said transferred holographic image is a food wrapping element and said holographic image contains writing therein.
 6. The process of claim 5 wherein said writing is in the form of a logo.
 7. The process of claim 1 wherein said thin tissue paper substrate containing said transferred holographic image is a gift wrapping element and further wherein said holographic image contains writing thereon.
 8. A process for transferring a holographic image contained on a polymeric support to a thin, tissue paper substrate, wherein said holographic image is a metallized holographic image having a top surface, and wherein said thin tissue paper substrate has a weight of between 5 and 24 pounds per ream, wherein said ream is defined as 500 sheets of paper of 24 by 36 inch size, comprising the steps of:a. coating an adhesive on said top surface of said metallized holographic image and drying said adhesive at a temperature of between 25° and 150° C.; b. laminating said dried adhesive surface to said thin tissue paper substrate at a temperature between 25° and 150° C. and a pressure between 1 and 1,000 pounds per square inch to form a laminate comprising, in order, a polymeric support, a metallized holographic image, an adhesive layer, and a thin, tissue paper; c. cooling said laminate below 25° C.; d. delaminating said laminate whereby said metallized holographic image is transferred from said polymeric substrate to said thin tissue paper substrate; e. over-coating said holographic image on said thin tissue paper substrate with an overcoat; and, f. drying said over-coated holographic image on said thin tissue paper substrate. 